


'Cause You're Here

by neverlandlumos



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:51:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverlandlumos/pseuds/neverlandlumos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baby 5 is eager to meet the man who makes the Young Master so happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Cause You're Here

"Um," Baby 5 sort-of mumbles, "Young Master?"

Doflamingo's coat can be seen sticking out of one of the bookcases. He bends backward awkwardly to acknowledge her.

"Yes?" 

"I don't mean to bother you or intrude," she begins, wringing her hands a bit. She's hardly the shy type, but Baby 5 has never really requested something from Doflamingo in the past, apart from him to stop killing her boyfriends. "I was hoping... that perhaps... I could meet the man staying here? Um, with you."

Doflamingo wanders out from the aisle and grins down at her. "You haven't met him? I'm sorry."

Baby 5 waves her hands, dismissing the apology frantically. He hasn't been here long, Doflamingo's... partner, as he is called by other members of the family now, but the king doesn't seem to be up to much today, and has been of late. "No, no, don't be sorry, Young Master!"

Doflamingo sets whatever book he was interested in on the table and grins, all teeth. "Fufufu, come," he orders softly, "I shall introduce you to my beloved."

"Beloved?" She echoes, wide-eyed. She hadn't known Doflamingo felt so deeply about this mysterious man. She's jealous to say the least, not of Doflamingo nor his partner, but she wouldn't mind a steady man in her life. She lights a cigarette.

Baby 5 follows him until they begin to reach the king's living area. "Oh, yes," Doflamingo confirms easily. "I love him very much," he chuckles.

"That's fantastic, Young Master," she tells him, genuinely meaning it. "Sugar told me he likes to sleep a lot," she also comments, exhaling through her nose. 

Doflamingo spares her a glance. "I suppose," he replies, "He does like to sleep in the sun."

"The sun?" Baby 5 echoes, practically sweating at the thought. Summers in Dressrosa can be quite harsh. "Isn't it a bit hot?"

"He's a logia user," Doflamingo opens the bedchamber doors, leading her through his quarters, long finger pressed to his lip. "His element is sand, so I don't think heat bothers him. He used to live in a desert," he whispers.

Baby 5 notices their bed has been made and the lingering smell of cigar smoke wafts a bit around the room. The breakfast tray is empty, waiting to be taken away by a maid. 

"He's been awake," she comments, voice low. She's excited to meet the man that makes Doflamingo so giddy.

"He's there," Doflamingo points, hiding behind the curtain that adorns the edges of the balcony, looking absolutely ridiculous. 

She quirks an eyebrow, "Why don't you want him to see you?"

"I never interrupt nap time unless it's important," he declares, grinning sharply. He's probably been told off for doing so many times. "He's been napping for a while, though," he comments, rubbing his chin as he checks the clock on the far wall. "I should wake him."

Baby 5 balks. She also knows this man has quite a temper. "Not on my behalf, Young Master!"

She watches as Doflamingo pokes his head around the curtain again, chuckling. She makes her way over quietly, through the glass doors carefully and stares.

The man is still sleeping, indeed, in the sun, on his back, on one of the reclining chairs, still in bed clothes. Hardly pyjamas per say, but rather loose fitting pants and a baggy top that looks suspiciously like Doflamingo's. She's quick to notice he's handsome, very much so, despite the scarring on his face. Baby 5 has heard from others he wears a hook as a replacement hand, but the hook isn't attached, the stump of his wrist is hidden behind his head.

Doflamingo leans over him cautiously. "Baby," he calls, "Baby."

The man shuffles a bit, mumbling something incoherent. Baby 5 swoons a bit over the endearment. She never thought she'd ever hear Doflamingo say something of the sort, unless addressing her name with the five strictly afterward.

"Wakey wakey, baby," Doflamingo croons, readjusting his sunglasses with one hand and gently cupping the man’s face with the other.

Baby 5 tenses automatically when his eyes flutter open blearily, already sensing a stranger in his presence, his searching eyes landing on her in seconds.

"What is it?" He asks Doflamingo, who does nothing but bodily lay on the man, head resting against the nook of his neck, long arms reaching around the man’s torso to hold him there firmly.

"Awh," Doflamingo sighs, the noise a bit muffled, "You're so warm."

Baby 5 clears her throat.

"Oh! Sorry, Baby 5. Crocodile, this is Baby 5. Baby 5, this is Croc."

"Hello," she says, rather lamely.

"Good afternoon," Crocodile replies, attempting to get up but pinned to the chair by Doflamingo's bulk. She's surprised how deep his voice is. "Oi. Get off. Don't be rude."

"I'm not being rude," Doflamingo retorts, pressing a kiss to a scarred cheek. "Baby 5 wanted to meet you."

"I see. All the more reason to get off me," the man offers her a short smile, before gritting his teeth in annoyance when Doflamingo won't budge. He presses a firm hand to his forehead to push him off. "Stop it. Why are you always so clingy after my nap time?"

"Cause you're so warm and cuddly," Doflamingo declares, as though Crocodile should know. He pouts miserably when Crocodile scoffs at him in exasperation, as though dealing with a spoilt child. “Cuddly Crocodile,” Doflamingo adds, unnecessarily.

Crocodile ignores him and shimmies out of his grip. "It's nice to meet you," he tells her, rising to a stand.

Holy crap, he's tall. At least eight foot, maybe even nine, and though he isn't as tall as Doflamingo he carries the same intimidating presence, bed clothes or not.

"Thank you," she dips her head. "It's an honour to meet you.”

Crocodile raises an eyebrow at her, before turning to Doflamingo, who is now curled up where he was previously laying, the feathers of his jacket ruffled. "You certainly have a polite family, birdbrain."

"Fufufu. Thanks," Doflamingo brushes off the insult easily.

"Ah!" Crocodile exclaims once in the doorway, having just noticed the time. "I have to see Sugar -- "

A quiet, timid knock cuts him off. 

"Come in," Crocodile calls, and smiles down at Sugar who is standing hesitantly at the door with her head poked in the room. "Sorry, Sugar, I overslept. I won't be long."

"Okay," the little girl replies, taking a seat on one of the couches while stuffing her face with candy.

Baby 5 turns to Doflamingo. "Does he hang out with Sugar?"

"Yeah, she adores him," he replies, a genuine smile forming at his mouth. It's intimate, and happy. "He takes her down to the beach and builds sandcastles and stuff with her."

Crocodile emerges from the bathroom redressed in black pants, black shoes with a white t-shirt with a white cardigan over the top, golden hook fastened to his wrist. He makes a dashing sight. He slips a cigar between his teeth and turns to Doflamingo. "Are you coming along?

"Sugar doesn't mind?" He asks.

Crocodile stares at him flatly. Baby 5 chuckles.

**

It's a very fun day, to say the least. Doflamingo laughs and carries on, and it's the happiest Baby 5 has ever seen him, his joy simply infectious. Sugar giggles from where she is perched atop an impressively built castle.

"I'm a queen!" She declares, while Doflamingo attaches a string to her wrist in case she should fall. 

Baby 5 is so occupied with helping Sugar build some little fortresses along the side of her castle, she notices she hasn't smoked the entire time she's been there. She grins.

“Look!” Sugar points over Baby 5’s shoulder.

She turns and almost bites her tongue.

Crocodile has successfully buried Doflamingo inside a cocoon of sand, patted over nicely and covering his entire body, except his head. The man is laughing, giddy almost, and Doflamingo doesn't really do much but accept the treatment. Baby 5 wonders if Doflamingo himself has ever seen the other man so happy.

“Kuhaha,” Crocodile laughs, “Now you're completely at my mercy.”

"Oh?" Doflamingo raises an eyebrow, expression mischievous. “It's not the first time, however, the location was… different.”

Crocodile smacks the crown of his head sharply with the bulk of his hook. “Stop it,” he snaps, “There is a child present, buzzard.”

"Young Master!" A maid calls, clearly relieved to have found him, but double takes to make sure there is indeed a body attached to the king. Crocodile chuckles when Doflamingo rises to a stand, muttering about sand down his pants.

“Yes?” Doflamingo acknowledges, shaking himself like a dog, thoroughly irritating Baby 5 in the process, and growls when she feels sand in her hair.

“Uh… Lunch!”

“Yay!” Sugar calls, making grabby hands at Crocodile, who reaches up with little effort to pull her down. He settles her on her feet and helps get rid of the sand by using his devil fruit powers. 

Doflamingo yelps, “Why it didn't you do that for me?”

Crocodile snorts rudely.

“Fufufu, how mean,” Doflamingo comments, “Shall we go?”

“Yep!” Sugar answers for them, and they begin to follow the maid. Baby 5 lags behind a bit to smoke a cigarette, she tries not to smoke much around Sugar anyway, and plucks grains of sand off her dress as she does.

Doflamingo rests his hand at the small of Crocodile’s back, just resting, not guiding or leading. Crocodile continues whatever he's saying, Baby 5 can't quite make out the words but grins when Doflamingo presses a kiss to his cheek. He's so very taken with the other man, and it shows, and it has to be the sweetest thing she's ever seen.

Baby 5 is struck with a thought. Perhaps, she could use this to her advantage. Maybe, she could ask Crocodile to tell Doflamingo to stop killing all of her boyfriends -- he's not the only one who wants a man in their life. She grins, fingers crossed.


End file.
